


The Essay

by cmk418



Series: The Essay [1]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-10-15
Updated: 2009-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:28:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28641489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cmk418/pseuds/cmk418
Summary: Sometimes the best things aren't perfect.
Series: The Essay [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2098959
Kudos: 2





	The Essay

“So now are you going to tell me?” Willow asked Xander as they entered the library.

“No.”

“Is it because you got a C?”

“C-minus, actually.”

“Still, passing.”

“Yeah.”

“You probably would have gotten a better score if you’d have let me proofread it.”

“You’re right.”

“I don’t understand why you didn’t.”

“It’s a personal essay, Will.”

“You should at least tell us who you wrote about. Was it Mayor Wilkins?”

“No.”

“The guy who invented the sub sandwich.”

“No.”

“Bill Gates.”

“That was yours.”

“No, I had Nelson Mandela. Giles…”

Giles noticed that Xander went pale when Willow said his name, then visibly relaxed as she continued. “Who do you think Xander would choose for ‘the person he most admires’?”

“I think it’s up to Xander to divulge that information if he so chooses.”

Xander mouthed ‘thank you’ to Giles.

“You’re no fun.”

“I have research for you.”

“See, Will, he’s bringing the fun already.”

Willow and Xander sat at a table in the back. Willow researched while Xander took a celebratory ‘I got a passing grade on my English paper’ nap. Buffy came in and trained with Giles and once training was finished, they joined the other two.

“What’s up?” Buffy asked.

“Athrashla demons,” Willow said, pointing to a picture in the book in front of her.

“Those whirly things are demons?”

“Yup.”

“Don’t suppose I can behead them.”

“You can if you can get them to stop,” Xander contributed.

“But it’s nearly impossible,” said Willow.

“Maybe I can spray them with some ultra hold hairspray.”

“I assure you, Buffy, that will not…”

“Hey. Yeah,” Willow said, visibly brightening.

“You must be joking.”

“Well, it doesn’t say it in so many words because ultra-hold hairspray wasn’t around at the time this was written, but it could work.”

“I knew there was a reason to always carry it in my purse.”

“Do be careful.”

“Always am. See ya.”

“I’m going too. Are you coming, Xan?” Giles took the book from her and disappeared into the stacks to return it to its proper place.

“Night, Giles!” Xander yelled.

“Good night, Xander. Willow,” Giles responded.

When he returned to the table, Giles saw a piece of paper lying on top of it. Probably some notes that Willow had taken, he thought. He turned the paper over. Xander’s handwriting was scrawled across it and a big red “C-” marked the top. Giles took it into his office and was about to tuck it into his desk drawer when he noticed his name in the text.

__

The Person I Admire Most  
by Xander Harris

If you had told me two years ago that the person that I admire most would turn out to be a librarian, I’d have said you were loco. But Rupert Giles is so much more than a librarian.

(Oh dear Lord, he better not have told Miss Bredell about Slayers and Watchers.)

 _First of all, the guy is smart. Super-smart. I don’t know if it’s the hole coming from England thing or not, but the guy knows more about more different things than anybody else I know. He taught me a lot. Mostly about v-_ (the next part was – thankfully - scratched out) _victims of the Black Plague because I had a report on that in history class._

(Giles sincerely doubted there was any report, but also knew that Miss Bredell wouldn’t bother cross-checking that.)

 _Secondly, he’s very patient. Sometimes, he scowls and sighs a lot, but he’s not_ (again, a part was scratched out, almost to the point of tearing the paper) _mean when I don’t get things right._

 _Also, the guy can stand more pain than any person I ever met. When Angel_ (the letter “a” was hastily scrawled in next to it, changing the vampire to some fictitious ex-girlfriend) _messed with his head, any other guy I know would have broken under the stress, but not Giles. He came away from it stronger and showed me something about moving on that I might have to use one day in my own life, but I hope not._

_Fourthly, he cares. I don’t trust a lot of adults – most of the nice ones are demons in disgise, but Giles is the real deal._

_And that’s about it. He’d probly be embaressed to know that I wrote this essay about him, so please don’t say anything to him if you see him anywhere, okay?_

__

The End

Giles set the paper in his desk drawer and pushed it closed. The grammar was atrocious, the spelling equally so, and the handwriting itself was a complete mess. All in all, Xander was lucky to have earned the C-minus.

But as Giles sat back in his chair with a smile on his face, he admitted to himself that Xander’s essay was one of the finest things he’d ever read.


End file.
